Artificial foot.



No. 759,753. PATBNTED MAY1o,`19o4 J. F. ROWLEY. ARTIFICIAL FUOT.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT 14. 1903. N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented May 10, 1994.

PATENT OFFICE.

ARTIFICIAL FOOT..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 759,753, dated May 10, 1904. Application filed September 14, 1903f Serial No. 173,166. (No model.)

.Torr/ZZ whom t may concern,.-

Be itlmown that 1', J AMEs F. RowLEY, aciti- Zen of the United States of America, and aresident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artiiieial Feet, of which the following is a specification.

The main object of my invention is to provide improved construction and arrangement of the parts of an artificial foot, so that under the weight of the wearer and the movement of the leg, as in the act of walking, the same shall in both appearance and effect closely imi tate the natural movements of the human foot. i accomplish this object by the device shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section of an artificial foot constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line E2 2 of Fig. l.

In the construction shown the shin part 3 of an artificial leg is provided at its lower end with a base part 4, through which extends a vertically-disposed bolt 5. The upper end of the bolt engages a nut 6, bearing on a dowel 7, which extends across the interior cavity of the shin-section 3. The lower end of thebolt 5 is provided with an eye 8, within which is loosely seated the rear end of afoot-core 9. The eye 8 serves as a fulcrum for the foot-core 9. AA cushion 10, of sponge-rubber or other suitable resilient material, is seated in suitable recesses in the base part t of the shin-section and in the upper part of the foot-core and serves to yieldingly resist the upward movement of the foot-core 9 about its fulcrum. The cushion 10 is made separate from the lil1 ing 13, so as to be readily removed and replaced when weakened or worn from long use.

Extending' along and below the foot-core 9 is a toe-core 11, which is fulcrumed to the forward end of the foot-core 9 by means of a strap of canvas webbing 12, which is folded as shown and secured to both of said cores. rlhe toe-core 11 is extended a considerable distance both forward and rearward of its fulcrum, and the rear part of said toe-core has secured thereto a strap of canvas webbing 18, which extends upwardly at the sides of the foot-core 9 and over the top of the cushion 10. The cushion 1() thus serves to yieldingly resist the movement of the foot-core about its fulcrum and also to resist the movement of the toe-core about its own fulcrum.

All of the parts below the base 4 of the shinsection are surrounded by a body 13, of sponge-rubber or other suitable material, which is reinforced by strips of canvas 14C, 15, 16, and 17, which are suitably arranged to support and strengthen the parts of said sponge-rubber body.

The toe-core 11 does not extend to the forward extremity of the foot-body, thus leaving a portion of the toe part of the foot without a rigid core and providing an additional articulation to the foot.

The operation of the device shown will be understood from the foregoing description.

1t will be seen that no special attention need be paid by the wearer to the working of the foot, the same being entirely automatic and operated by the movement, as in walking, of the shin part of the leg under the weight of the wearer. It will also be understood that the sponge-rubber structure of the foot, together with the articulations provided, will give an action to the foot which is natural in appearance and results. v

It will be understood that numerous details of the construction shown may be altered without departing from the spirit of my invention. I therefore do not confine myself to such details except as hereinafter limited in the claims.

That I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, ism

1. An artificial toot,comprisinga foot-core; a toe-core disposed along said foot-core, being fulcrumed near the forward end of same, and extending a considerable distance .forward and `rearward from said fulcrum; yielding` means connecting the rear end of the toe-core with the footscore; and a body of resilient material surrounding said cores, substantially as -described.

2. An artificial foot, comprisinga shin member; a foot-core fulcrumed to the shin member; means yieldingly resisting the movement of the foot-core on its fulcrum; a toe-core-fulcrumed to said foot-core; and means yield- 4roo ingly resisting the movement of said toe-core on its fulcrum, substantially as described.

3. An artificial foot, comprisingafoot-core; a toe-core disposed along and below said footcore, being fulcrumed near the forward end of same, and/extending aconsiderable distance forward and rearward from said fulcrum; a cushion of yielding material seated on the upper side of said foot-core and astrap connecting said toe-core with said cushion and adapted to yieldingly resist the movement of the toecore on its fulcrum, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the class describechthe combination of a shin member; a foot-core fulcrumed near its rear end to said shin member; a resilient cushion interposed between the forward part of said foot-core and said shin member; a toe-core fulcrumed at the forward end of said foot-core and extending a considerable distance forward and rearward of its fulcrum; and suitable means connecting said toe-core with said cushion vand adapted to yieldingly resist the movement of said toecore on its fulcrum, substantially as described.

5. An artificial foot; comprising a sh in member; a foot-core fulcrumed to the shin member; means yieldingly resisting the movement of the foot-core n its fulcrum; a toe-core ful- 'orumed at the forward end of said foot-core and extending a considerable distance forward and rearward of its fulcrum; and means yieldingly resisting the movement of said toe-core on its fulcrum, substantially as described.

Signed at Chicago this 8th day of September, 1903.

JAMES F. ROWLEY.

Witnesses:

GLEN C. STEPHENS, EUGENE A. RUMMLER. 

